According to Sayyid Sistani, goods that a person comes to own through a contract of exchange and which they keep for business and profit earning is liable for zakat based on obligatory precaution if certain conditions are fulfilled. Would this apply to: stocks, mutual funds and shares, and any business money which a person uses to buy goods and put in their store to sell?
Yes, it applies to the three items mentioned if they are owned through a contract of exchange and kept for earning a profit.